Men's fashion and the other random stuff that interests me.

I haven’t posted for ages. Mainly because there’s been a real dearth of stuff that’s caught my interest. Plus I’ve been crackers busy with work and kids and stuff. Anyway, I digress. Here’s something I think is mega – the latest product from friends of the blog, Mamnick and their collaboration with Banton Frameworks. A beautifully designed and produced pair on sunglasses, limited to only 50 pairs, all of which are carefully handmade in Banton Frameworks’ studio.

The sunglasses are made from precision machined, premium Italian acetate, in a lovely shade of amber. Stainless steel rivets and five-barrel stainless steel hinges attach the ‘hockey-end’ arms to the frame, whilst titanium nose pads poise the frame perfectly on your face. Each pair is completely unique, depending on where it’s cut from the acetate sheet and to keep things as simple and clutter-free as possible, the frame has no outer branding at all.

Protection comes in the form of a leather case, produced in Somerset from two pieces of black calf leather, stitched back-to-back. Fastening is via a simple, manually riveted stainless steel ‘Sam Brown’ button and the case is finished with the Banton Frameworks brand tag and Mamnick’s championship bands. Finally everything arrives in a cracking presentation box, crafted from chord embossed G.F Smith colourplan stock with some lovely gloss black foil blocking.

This piece of footwear and my borderline obsession with them needs little to no introduction. The white Achilles from Common Projects has undoubtedly become a modern classic over the last 12 years. I’m now on my fourth pair, having bought my first nine years ago. They’re still knocking around but are pretty much destroyed, as are the other pairs…

So the need for a fresh pair led me to these. At a glance they’re just another pair of white Achilles, but on closer inspection they’re subtly different – the gold numbers replaced with black and the shoe’s interior also following suit. They’re from Mr. Porter’s capsule collection to celebrate their fifth anniversary and I like the fact they’re different but still pretty much exactly the same.

Construction is exactly as to be expected – beautiful supple leather outside and in, and a build quality that’s second to none. The Margom sole still works better on these than any other trainer using it, and for me they’re still the absolute best minimalist trainer out there.

For more information or to buy online, go to the website here: Mr. Porter.

Having been on something on a new bag hunt recently (I’m still on it actually), the latest thing to catch my eye is OUTLIER’s update to their Ultrahigh backpack. As the images attest, this thing is all about technical innovation in an effortlessly lightweight and balanced bag.

The base is constructed from Ultrahigh Dyneema Composite – a material that combines strength, structure and texture but also with the added benefit of a surface that’s far gentler on clothing than your typical rucksack. The top section of the bag is just as technical – the rolltop combines Biothane’s rugged flexibility and an Armordon frame sheet to give stability. Closure comes courtesy of Fidlock’s magnomechanical snap-closure system, making for easy entry and refastening.

The final external details including adjustable shoulder straps with aluminium Duraflex laderlocks, side pockets made from Tweave four-way stretch fabric and Ultrasuede zip pulls for better grip on the lower front pocket. Inside there’s a large capacity main compartment (28 litre total capacity) and a dedicated pocket for laptops.

For more information on the brand, or to buy from their online shop, go to the website here: OUTLIER.

Great clobber, great bit of filmmaking. Produced to highlight the label’s latest collection for Spring/Summer 2016, this short film is another collaboration between the brand and Allan Buxton.

The film perfectly translates the brand’s personality and also shows that this new season is well worth a closer look. So to do just that, or for more information on the brand and to buy the new collection online, go to the website here: Universal Works.

That most humble – and often vital – of items (and often a complete afterthought for many), the belt has been given the special treatment by Amsterdam’s Tenue de Nîmes. The results of which are striking for their beautiful simplicity.

The belts are made from Scandinavian-sourced hides that are naturally tanned in Belgium, with final hand production taking place in Holland. Each is also dyed by hand, meaning every piece is unique. The belts are available in two widths – wide (38mm), medium (32mm) and in three colours – natural oiled, Indigo and black (the indigo being featured here).

Final touches include heavy-duty brass buckles and industrial copper rivets from England, plus the brand’s logo and belt size debossed into the leather. For more information on the brand and to buy from their online shop, go to the website here: Tenue de Nîmes.

Another absolute beauty of a garment from the good ship S.E.H Kelly. This is their take on the overshirt and it comes resplendent in a marine blue cotton-linen hopsack cloth. It’s a great looking piece, devoid of fuss but full of detail – just as good clothing should be.

In addition to the East Lancashire hopsack, the shirt also has a lightweight cotton lining from the same region and the brand’s trademark Midlands-sourced horn buttons. Those buttons total six on the fly-front, with only the top button left visible. The exterior also features a trio of welt pockets – two large lower pockets and a small one on the chest.

The raglan sleeves finish with blouson-style cuffs, again fastened with real horn buttons and the shirt is finished with a beautifully shaped collar – again something of a brand trademark, as nobody else makes a collar quite as handsome (if a collar can be such a thing). For more information on the brand, and to buy from their online shop, go to the website here: S.E.H Kelly.

Knives. Not something I’ve featured on the blog before but these are more than worthy of a write up. They sit as part of Mamnick’s stainless steel products and both are made and constructed in Sheffield. There are two versions – the everyday double-knife and the Yomping knife.

The double-knife is now on its second edition and comes in a brushed, stainless steel body that’s laser etched and individually numbered. It features a taper ground Drop-Point blade and a combined bottle-opener / screwdriver tool which locks into position for extra safety. A split ring allows the knife to be fastened to a keyring for ease of carrying, although it’s compact enough to fit in a pocket.

The Yomping knife is a brand new product and although it shares a brushed and laser etched steel body (this time with exposed rivets), is more feature-laden, having been based on a three-piece army clasp knife. These features include a stainless steel Sheepfoot blade for heavy-duty cutting, a can opener and a marline spike tool for rope work. The handle has an integrated screwdriver and is also fitted with a shackle to allow for attachment to a lanyard or keyring.

Both are very limited in numbers, with 50 double-knives and only 20 Yomping knives having been produced. For more information on the brand and to buy online, go to the website here: Mamnick.